THE

MERCHANT

O E

y ENICE.

Launcelot, a Clown, Servant to the Jew.

Gobbo, Father to Launcelot.

Leonardo, Servant to Baffanio.

Senators of Venice, Officers, Jailer, Servants and other Attendants.

SCENE, partly at Venice; and partly at Belmont, the Seat of Portia.

MERCHANT of VENICE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Street in Venice.

Enter Anthonio, Solarino, and Salanio,

ANTHONIO.

N footh, I know not why I am so fad :

It wearies me; you fay, it wearies you;

But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made off, whereof it is born,
I am to learn-——

And such a want-wit sadness makes of the,
That I have much ado to know my self.

Sal. Your mind is toffing on the ocean;
There, where your Argofies with portly Sail,
Like figniors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or as it were the pageants of the Sea,
Do over-peer the petty traffickers, .
That curtfie to them, do them reverence,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.

1 Argose, a fhip from Argo.

given in our Authour's time to hips of great burthen, probably Galleons, fuch as the Spaniards now ufe in the Weft-India trade. Cc

POPE. Whether it be derived from Argo I am in doubt. It was a name VOL. I.

Sola.

Sola. Believe me, Sir, had I fuch venture forth, The better part of my affections would

2

Be with my hopes abroad. I fhould be ftill
Plucking the grafs, to know where fits the wind;
Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads.
And every object, that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt,
Would make me fad.

Sal. My wind, cooling my broth,

Would blow me to an ague, when I thought
What harm a wind too great might do at sea.
I should not fee the fandy hour-glafs run,
But I should think of fhallows and of flats;
And see my wealthy * Andrew dock'd in fand,
Vailing her high top lower than her ribs,
To kifs her burial. Should I go to church,
And fee the holy edifice of stone,

And not bethink me ftrait of dang❜rous rocks?
Which, touching but my gentle veffel's fide,
Would scatter all the fpices on the stream,
Enrobe the roaring waters with my filks;
And in a word, but even now worth this,
And now worth nothing. Shall I have the thought
To think on this, and fhall I lack the thought,
That fuch a thing, bechanc'd, would make me sad?
But tell not me ;- I know, Anthonio

Is fad to think upon his merchandize.

Antho. Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole eftate Upon the fortune of this prefent year: Therefore, my merchandize makes me not fad.

Sola. Why then you are in love.

Anth. Fie, fie!

Sola. Not in love neither! then let's fay, you're fad,
Because you are not merry; and 'twere as easy.
For you to laugh and leap, and fay, you're merry,
Because you are not fad. Now by two-headed Janus,3
Nature hath fram'd ftrange fellows in her time:
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes,
And laugh, like parrots, at a bag-piper;
And others of fuch vinegar-afpect,

That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile,5
Though Neftor fwear, the jeft be laughable.

Enter Baffanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano.

Sal. Here comes Baffanio, your most noble kinfman, Gratiano and Lorenzo. Fare ye well

We leave you now with better company.

Sola. I would have ftaid 'till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me.

Anth. Your worth is very dear in my regard.

I take it, your own bufinefs calls on you,
And you embrace th' occafion to depart.
Sal. Good morrow, my good lords.

Baff. Good Signiors both, when fhall we laugh?
fay, when?

You grow exceeding strange; muft it be fo?

3

Sal. We'll make our leifures to attend on yours.

-Now by two-headed Janus,] Here Shakespear fhews his knowledge in the antique. By two-headed Janus is meant thofe antique bifrontine heads, which generally reprefent a young and Imiling face, together with an old and wrinkled one, being of Pan and Bacchus; of Saturn and Apollo, &c. These are not uncommon in collections of antiques; and in the books of the

Cc 2

WARBURTON.

Sola.